It's been happening for a while now, but it wasn't until last night that it hit me like the proverbial ton of bricks...
I'm getting O-L-D.
If anything stuck out about last night's Grammys, it's that there's now a pretty sizable disparity between what the masses apparently think is cool (Chris Brown and glowsticks, anyone?) and what I happen to enjoy.
In fact, it wasn't long before I was (gasp!) slipping into grumpy ol' mother territory. Not only did I think that Fergie should've been ordered to put an actual dress over the orange see-through lace contraption she was wearing, but that someone (her publicist, stylist, manager, mother, anyone really) should've let Katy Perry know that her promotional obligations for the Smurfs movie were actually over last summer.
Let's just say that I don't think blue's her color, whether it was the sky blue sparkly variety she sported on the red carpet or the hair that looked roughly the shade of anti-freeze when pinned up or like the Cookie monster's rather unfortunate gal pal when it was all bobbed and crimped.
While we're on the subject of the former Mrs. Brand, don't even get me going on that "song" she lip-synced. How she has five #1 singles from Teenage Dream is an absolute head-scratcher—can someone please explain her allure to me? And no, your answer can't include anything about her costumes' bonus features...
While the Perry performance was awkward, however, "awkward" would've been a flattering description of the whole Nicki Minaj performance/exorcism. Who knew that Lady Gaga showing up as an egg last year would seem downright normal in comparison?
What also could be classified as a total Grammy #fail is giving Chris Brown not one, but two performing slots. Seriously, when did beating up your girlfriend suddenly become okay? I'm all for forgiving and forgetting, but shining the spotlight on this guy is just plain uncool. Wait at least a decade, and then we'll talk.
Lest you think I'm a total pop culture kill-joy, in a night chock full of misfires, there was a few moments I thoroughly enjoyed. Seeing Adele (rightfully) win all those trophies and giggle her way through her acceptance speeches, for one. Being treated to not one, but two doses of Foo Fighters was a total bonus, too. Even Coldplay's somewhat pitchy performance made me smile, while I had to leave the room when Jennifer Hudson started belting out "I Will Always Love You" because I knew I'd tear up big time. My suspicions were confirmed in the privacy of my office today when I watched her sing on YouTube. Yep, I totally needed to fix my raccoon eyes.
Perhaps, the nicest surprise of all was seeing Bon Iver score that "Best New Artist" trophy. While he's not a "new artist" in the least (to wit, he's been making music for more than five years now, illustrious Academy), I was thrilled to pieces when the fellow northern Wisconsite won. Bonus points for giving America's Dairyland a shout-out in your acceptance speech, by the way...
All things considered, I'm (mostly) glad I tuned in, and it provided a few stunning and not-so-stunning revelations to boot. I actually enjoyed the Glen Campbell tribute, something I thought I'd never say. Ditto for the Beach Boys. I also thought LL Cool J did a great job of maintaining a respectful tone as the host, given the surprising change of events with Whitney Houston's unexpected passing.
But in what's been a pretty great year for music these past 12 months, I still couldn't help feeling a little disappointed by the lack of diversity. I mean, did we really need the Carrie Underwood/Tony Bennett duet of big band staple "It Had to Be You?" Was anyone's life really changed by that Bruno Mars performance?
Last but certainly not least, let's talk Taylor Swift for a moment. Now as wonderful as I think it is for young girls to have a fully clothed role model, isn't a standing ovation for her glorified hoedown a bit much? Or am I just much too old to see the inherent genius of Taylor channeling someone probably named Daisy Mae?
Discuss please.
Comments